1.2.1 to 1.2.2. (autopsy, time of death, body systems)

Question 1

Gross examination

Answer 1

Visual inspection of organs/tissues

Question 2

Brain exam

Answer 2

Check brain for signs of injury; remove brain to be weighed and examined

Question 3

External exam

Answer 3

Record description of the body, measure and weigh the body, noting external injuries

Question 4

Stomach contents

Answer 4

Examine contents of the stomach (including medicines and pills) to determine identity and degree of digestion

Question 5

Documentation

Answer 5

Take photographs recording injuries, identifying features, and state of decomposition

Question 6

Sample collection

Answer 6

Collect blood, urine, and/or tissue samples, and send for additional testing

Question 7

Cause of death

Answer 7

The specific injury, trauma, or disease that directly caused the decedent’s death

Question 8

Mechanism of death

Answer 8

What happened physiologically (in the body) that resulted in death

Question 9

Manner of death

Answer 9

The circumstances that resulted in death (natural, accident, suicide, homicide, undetermined)

Question 10

Muscular system

Answer 10

Moves the body, moves substances around the body, maintains posture, and produces heat (skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle, and smooth muscle)

Question 11

Nervous system

Answer 11

Responds to internal and external changes by processing information and acting accordingly (brain, spinal cord, nerves & sensory receptors)

Question 12

Circulatory system

Answer 12

Pumps blood around the body, transports oxygen, carbon dioxide, nutrients, and waste (like the highway of the body) (heart, blood vessels, veins, arteries, and capillaries)

Question 13

Integumentary system

Answer 13

Forms the body’s external covering, protects deeper tissue from injury, and helps regulate body temperature (hair, skin, nails)

Question 14

Reproductive system

Answer 14

Produces, transports, and sustains sperm/egg cells

Question 15

Endocrine system

Answer 15

Secretes hormones that affect growth, reproduction, and metabolism (testis, adrenal gland, pituitary gland, ovary)

Question 16

Respiratory system

Answer 16

Assists with gas exchange, keeps oxygen in the blood, and removes carbon dioxide waste (nasal cavity, trachea, lungs, bronchus)

Question 17

Immune/lymphatic system

Answer 17

Filters fluids in the body and attacks foreign substances (lymph nodes, spleen, thymus, bone marrow)

Question 18

Excretory system

Answer 18

Removes waste (liquid) from the body and regulates the amount of water in the blood (kidney, bladder, ureter, urethra)

Question 19

Digestive system

Answer 19

Breaks down food into nutrients, absorbs nutrients, and gets rid of (solid) waste (oral cavity, esophagus, small intestine, large intestine, stomach)

Question 20

Skeletal system

Answer 20

Protects and supports organs, stores minerals, and assists with movement (bones & joints)

Question 21

Physiological time of death

Answer 21

The moment the decedent’s vital functions (ie, respiration) stopped

Question 22

Estimated time of death

Answer 22

The time that the medical examiner estimates the death occured

Question 23

Legal time of death

Answer 23

The time the body was found by another individual or the time they were declared dead (this time is on the death certificate)

Question 24

Algor mortis

Answer 24

The body cools/heats to match the temperature of its surroundings. Algor starts immediately after death and ends 24 hours after death, when the body is the same temperature as its surroundings.

Question 25

Clouding of corneas

Answer 25

The corneas (the clear part of the eye) become cloudy. It starts within 3-4 hours after death and the eyes becomes more opaque as time goes on

Question 26

Rigor mortis

Answer 26

The muscles stiffen after the body stops functioning. This begins 2-4 hours after death, the body is fixed with full rigor in 8-12 hours, and rigor fades after 36-48 hours.

Question 27

Livor mortis

Answer 27

Blood pools in the areas of the body most subject to gravity after the heart stops beating. It begins within 2 hours of death, full signs can be seen within 5 hours, and lividity is fixed after 8-12 hours.

Question 28

Decomposition / putrefaction

Answer 28

Bacteria breaks down tissue and releasing gas, causing the body to turn green and have an unpleasant odor. This begins 36-48 hours after death.

Question 29

Insect activity

Answer 29

Insects land on the body after death and lay eggs. This starts 1-145 hours after death.